Posts: 4,063
Threads: 68
Joined: Feb 2003
. . . it wasn't really art ;) /Sarcasm off
Funny how many people overlook the fact that talented people need to eat, too. And those that are both smart and talented eat pretty well. :)
Then, of course, there's the snobs who prove their superiority by rejecting everything that's popular simply because it is popular. Since they have no taste, they glorify the crap that everyone else avoids.
--Pete
How big was the aquarium in Noah's ark?
Posts: 104
Threads: 7
Joined: Feb 2003
Hmm? I assume you don't think that the tastes of the majority indicate quality, despite your quip about snobs.
Anyways, one thing many seem to be forgetting in this thread is, that the law is not the same everywhere. By the laws which bind me (an EU member state) I am legally allowed to download and use any media with a filesharing program. I am however not allowed to redistribute them with any kind of filesharing system. (ie. the "refuse all downloads" option in kazaa). However, I am allowed to copy and give to my family and closest friends (the term "close circle" is the direct translation of the term used in the law) copies of original or downloaded material as long as I gain no financial profit from these gifts. I am allowed to bypass any kind of copy protection schemes, but I am not allowed to distribute programs or files which do the same. EULA of software is not only unbinding to me, but is downright illegal by the laws that govern me. Finally, when I purchase software, I do not buy a licence, but a material product. (ie. not just the right to use, but the product and it's physical form in it's entirety)
For example, I am allowed to import a regionfree dvd burner, a region 1 movie, burn copies of it without the regioncode and give the copies as gifts to my nephew, cousin and couple friends. Or, another example, I can download a divx movie file with kazaa, burn it into vcds and again give them to the aforementioned people.
Interestingly enough, we have 150+ software titles, 500+ music cds and 50+ dvds in our household. (we only got a dvd player less than a year ago) All legally purchased originals. Further, without divx downloads, half of those dvds wouldn't have been bought because they did not garner enough interest to go to the theater, and so we would've never known how good they were. (ie. Memento)
